Type writing machine



6 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. A. .FORD. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 456,808. Patented July 28, 1891.

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ATTORNEYS (Np Model.) s Sheets-Sheet- 2.

E. A.'FORD. 7 TYPE WRITING MACHINE. N0.-456,808. Patented Ju1y28, 1891.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. A. FORD. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Patented July 28, 1891."

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

E. A; FORD.

TYPE WRITING MAGHINE.

" No. 456,808. Patented July 28,1891.

WITNESSES.

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E. A. FORD.

TYPE WRITING MAOHINE. No. 456,808. Patented July 28, 1891.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheetf 6 E. A. FORD. TYPE WRITING MAGHINE.-

No. 456,808 Patented July 28, 1891.

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type-writer.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

EUGENE A. FORD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TYPE-\NRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,808, dated July 28, 1891.

Application filed September 4, 1890. Serial No. 363,955. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE A. FORD, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved TypefiVriter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of the improved Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the paper-carriage. Fig. 3 is atransverse section of the paper-carriage. Fig. 4. is a plan View of the machine with the carriage removed and parts broken away to show internal construction. Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the inked-ribbon reels. Fig. 0 is a plan view of the shifting mechanism for turning the heads of the type-arms. Figs. 7 and 8 are side and end elevations of the pawl-and-ratch et mechanism of the inked-ribbon feed. Fig. 9 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the inked-ribbon-feed mechanism and the spring-drum for moving the paper-carriage. Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal section through the center of the machine with all but one of the type-arms removed. Fig. 11 is a detailed sectional view of a portion of the circular rack, showing its roller-support. Fig. 12 is a vertical transverse section of the ma chine with the type-levers removed. Fig. 13 is a side-elevationof one of the type-levers, showing the circular rack in section. Fig. 14 is a front elevation of one of the type-levers. Fig. 15 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the head or type end of the typelever. Fig. 17 is a perspective view, looking downwardly, of one of the type-levers. Fig. 18 is an enlarged end elevation of the paper-carriage, showing the paper-roll partly elevated in full lines and fully-elevated in dotted lines. Fig. 19 is a plan View of one end of the paper-carriage, showing the pawl-and-ratchet mechanism; and Fig. 20 is an end elevation of the papercarriage, showing the pawl-and-ratchet mechanism in dotted lines.

The object of my invention is to construct a type-writer in which a large number of characters or letters may be printed without the necessity of multiplying keys.

Tue object is, further, to provide means for automatically moving the inked ribbon and for shifting the inked-ribbon-moving mechanism, so as to cause the ribbon to unwind from the full reel and wind upon the empty one.

The object is, further, to furnish a simple and efficient paper-carriage for carrying the paper for receiving the impression from the type, and, further, to provide a finger-key specially adapted to rapid work, the key being so formed as to allow the finger to readily slip from its edge after the key is depressed.

My invention consists in a series of tubular type-arms carrying spindles having on their free ends heads furnished with different type and different sides and on the opposite ends segmental pinions, a circular rack adapted to engage the segmental pinions in any position in which they may be placed, a lockingand a releasing mechanism for controlling the motion of the circular rack, a double-acting key, and a system of levers for moving the circular rack in one direction or the other.

It also consists in a pair of inked-ribbon reels mounted loosely on the shaft, and a clutch carried by the shaft for engagingthe reels in alternation.

It also consists in mechanism for imparting motion to the shaft of the inked-ribbon. reels, and in other details of construction herein} after more fullydescribed.

Upon a horizontal plate A, supported 'by the frame B, are mounted right-angle arms (3, arranged symmetrically around the circular opening of the plate A. Each arm 0 is furnished with a roller a, Fig. 11, near its base and with a lug b at its upper end. A circular rack D is supported by the rollers a and guided and held in place by the arms 0. To the inner lower edge of the apertnred plate A are secured brackets c, in which are pivoted triangular blocks d upon the pins e, passing through the brackets and through the triangular blocks. A tubefis formed integrally with the triangular block Cl and contains a wire g, which carries at its lower end a head 7t and at its upper end a segmental pinion t'. The brackets c are arranged with reference to the circular rack D, so as to hold the segmental pinions i in engagement with the said circular rack. The teeth on the interior of the circular rack are curved inwardly, so that the segmental pinions will remain in gear with the said rack in any position in which they may be placed.

To the plate A,in front of the circular rack D, is pivoted a lever E, and in a similar manner at the rear of the circular rack D a lever E is pivoted to the plate A. The ends of the levers E E are connected by bars F E, which pass between the circular rack D and the plate A. The bars F F are provided with studs Z l, which enter slots in the under surface of the circular rack D and serve to impart motion to the said rack when the levers E E are moved in the manner presently to be described.

Upon one side of the circular rack D is arranged a trapezoidal block j, and upon opposite sides of the said block are arrangedlevers 7c 70, the outer ends of which are pivoted to the plate A, while the inner ends rest normally in contact with opposite sides of the stud l. The levers 70 k are drawn toward each other by the spiral spring on, which is attached to both of the said levers, and said levers are guided and limited in their movement by a keeperk ,fiXedontheplateA. By meansof this construction whenever the levers E E are released, after having moved the circular rack in one direction or the other, the levers 7c force the stud Z into a central position and hold it normally in that position. On the opposite side of the circular rack D there is a lug n, having beveled ends, and to the plate A, upon opposite sides of said lug, are pivoted latches o 0, which are adapted to engage the ends of the lug n, and thus lock the circular rack D in a central position. A spiral spring 19 is connected with the latches o 0 and arranged to throw the said latches into engagement with the lug 7%. A bar q, extending across the plate A, underneath the latches 0 0, is furnished with studs 7' 7", adapted to strike the latches o 0 on their inner faces and disengage them from the lug n. The bar q is pivoted to an arm 5, secured to the upper end of a rock-shaft t, journaled vertically in the main frame B, the lower end of the said rockshaft being provided with an arm 10, which is pivotally connected to a link o,pivoted to the shifting-lever G. The said shifting-lever G is arranged so that when it is pushed down it will move the shifting mechanism in one direction and when it is pushed up it will move the said mechanism in the opposite direction. The bar F is connected by a link to to an arm a, secured to avertical shaft l),journaled in the main frame of the machine, and thelower end of said shaft b is provided with an arm 0, which is also connected with the link 11. The connection of the arm 0 with the link 1; is through the medium of a loop (1, which slides over the end of thelink v, and a pin 6', which passes through a slotf in the said link, thus permitting the link o to move the arm 162L110. release one of the latches 0 0' before moving the bar F through the arm 0, rock-shaft 1), arm a, and link to.

In standards attached to thebase-board 7t, are pivoted the key-levers t", which extend rearwardly and are connected at their rear ends with the triangular blocks d of the type-levers by means of the forked rods j. The front of the main frame of the machine is provided with three outwardly-bent bars 0% m m and with the ledge m for receiving the keys. The said bars are arranged one above the other and in different positions to allow the use of three banks of keys H H H Each key consists of a wire a, having at its upper end a finger-piece p and at its lower end a fork q, which is pivoted to the forward end of a key-lever. oblong form, with the front rounded and the rear end square. The upper surface of the said finger-piece is concaved from the forward end to within a short distance of the rear end thereof, forming a scoop-shaped fingerpiece, as shown in the detail sectional view, Fig. 10, to allow the finger of the operator to readily slip from the forward edge of the key.

A spacing-bar I extends across the machine underneath the entire series of key-levers i, and its ends are connected by links 3 with arms t, attached to a rock-shaft to, extending across the machine. To the said rockshaft is secured a lever 12, which extends from the shaft equally in opposite directions. The lever 12 operates the carriage-feeding mech anism in the manner presently to be described. Besides the key-levers 2", which are pivoted in the standards 9', there are two key-levers which extend forward and are connected with the spacing-keys J. By means of this arrangement the depression of either the'keys J will move the spacing-bar I without operating any of the type-levers.

InacoverK,placed on the top of the machine, is arranged a metallic plate L, having a central aperture to. To the plate L, on the opposite sides of the aperture to, are secured the paper-carriage guides a each provided with a groove 19 on its inner face. To the guides a is fitted the paper-carriage M, which is furnished with friction-rollers c fitted to the grooves b and adapted to roll upon the bar at the bottom of the grooves. The carriage is also provided with friction-rollers 01 which are arranged to turn in a horizontal plane and to bear against the guides a In the carriage M is pivoted a frame N, formed of end pieces adapted to support the paper-roll 0 and guides and guide-rolls, and a longitudinal bar 0 secured in the end pieces, the said frame N being arranged to turn on screws b passing through the ends of the carriage-frame and entering the ends N. In the said frame is journaled a paperroll 0, one of the journals of the roll being prolonged beyond the carriage and provided with a handle-wheel 6 by which it may be turned. In the same end of the roll, within Each finger-piece is of the frame N, a ratchet-wheel f is secured to the journal of the roll. In a tubular guide P, extending forward from the frame N, is placed a sliding bar 9 to the inner end of which is pivoted a spring-pressed hooked pawl 7L2, which is capable of engaging the ratchet-wheel f The outer end of the sliding bar 9 is furnished with a curved handle F, by which it may be drawn outward Whenever it becomes necessary to move the paper in the paper-carriage forward. The ratchetwheel f is prevented from retrograde motion 1 by a flat spring 7' secured to the top of the frame N. In the frame N is placed a roller 10 whose journals extend through slots in the end plates of the frame N. Upon the opposite side of the paper-roll O, at opposite ends of the frame, are j ournaled rollers Z Rubber bands n passing around the rollers Z W, tend to draw the roller 10 into contact with the paper-r0110. The roller k is grooved circumferentially at its ends, where it receives the rubber bands n so that the bands will not interfere with the close contact of the roller k with the paper upon the roll 0. A paper-guide 0 attached to the rear of the frame N, extends downward toward the roll 0 and serves to guide the paper so that it will enter between the roller k and the paperroll 0. To the front of the paper-carriage M is connected a curved plate Q by means of hinges Q, the said curved plate serving to deflect the paper as it is moved forward after printing. The said curved plate Q is so proportioned that when the paper-roll O is raised for the purpose of examining the work the edge of the plate will coincide with the lower part of the line being written, and the said curved plate is furnished upon its free edge with a scale which serves as a guide in introducing or replacing the work.

Arms 11 attached to the carriage M, extend upwardly and forwardly over the front of the guides a and support a ratchet-bar Q ,.Wl1i(3l1 is graduated in the same manner as theedge of the curved plate Q. In ears r r, projecting from the plate L, are pivoted the arms 3 5 which project inwardly toward each other. Rods t 23 pivotall y connected with the lever 12, extend upwardly through the plateL and are pivoted to the free ends of the arms 8 The upper ends of the rods 15 t are provided with tongues 162 a which are to engage the teeth of the ratchet-bar (1 By virtue of the connection of the rods t with opposite ends of the lever t" the tongues 10 n are made to work in alternation, so that each complete excursion of the lever n causes one tooth of the ratchet-bar to escape the tongues a 1?, thus allowing the carriage to move forward one space. Underneath the plate A is journaled a shaft R,upon which is loosely placed the drum S. The said drum S contains a spiral spring n one end of which is attached to the interior of the drum, while the opposite end is connected with the shaft R.

The rear end of the shaft R is furnished with a crank 10 which is provided on its inner face with a stud 00 adapted to enter any one of a series of holes in a plate 3 on the back of the frame B. By means of said crank any desired tension may be put upon the spring 0 A cord T, attached to the drum S, passes under a sheave a journaled in ears projecting from the base of the machine once across the base under the sheave b thence upward over the sheave c and forward to the opposite side of the machine, where the said cord is attached to the paper-carriage M at m The spring 1*, being under tension, tends to draw the papencarriage forward; but the forward movement of the paper-carriage is prevented by the tongues 10 n of the escape, and it is only when the ratchet-bar is liberated by the action of the tongues that the carriage can move forward. The sheave c is mounted loosely upon a shaft d journaled in ears projecting upwardly from the plate A. The shaft 01 carries a ratchet 6 to which is attached a pulley f The ratchet c is engaged by a spring-pressed click g pivoted to the side of the sheave 0 Upon a shaft h journaled in the standards if of the frame B, is mounted a pulley j which receives its motion from the pulley f through a belt 10 In an arm Z projecting from the shaft h is j ournaleda rock-shaft n whichis furnished upon its outer end with an angled lever 0 and upon its inner end with an arm 29 which is joined to a rod g projecting through an aperture in an angled arm 10 projecting at right angles to the arm p Upon the rod g between a shoulder formed thereon and the angled, arm 20 is placed a spiral spring a. By means of this arrangement the rock-shaft n is held in either of its two positions of use. Upon the shaft 7L3, upon opposite sides of the arm 19 are arranged the inked-ribbon reels U U, which are free to turn upon the shaft 71 but are prevented from moving lengthwise of the shaft. The reels U U are furnished with wings I) on their adjacent faces, which project inwardly toward the arm Z and within the path of the arms of the angled lever 0 The inked ribbon V in the presentcase, which is wound upon the reel U, passes upward through a slot in the plate L, thence diagonally across the plate in the path of the type-letters and between the plate L and the paper upon the roll 0. It passes around a pin 0 at the opposite end of the plate L, thence back over the plate at one side of the center of the plate, and downward through the slot of the said plate to the reel U, to which it is attached. The said reel U is engaged by the angled lever 0 so that whenever the shaft h is turned the said reel will be carried forward, winding the inked ribbon upon the reel U and unwinding it from the reel U. The turning of the shaft h is effected through the belt in and the movement of the sheave c by the cord T as it draws the carriage forward in the mannerbefore described. hen

all of the ribbon has been unwound from the reel U and wound upon the reel U, the pressure on the angled lever 0 due to the holding of the reel U by the ribbon, causes the said lever 0 to turn with a part of a revolution against the pressure of the spring a After the arm 19 passes the line of the center the said springa carries the arm 19 forward to the end of its stroke, thus turning the rock-shaft n so as to bring the angled lever 0 into engagement with one of wings b of the reel U, at the same time liberating the reel U. In this manner the furtherturning of the shaft h causes the ribbon to wind upon the reel U and to unwind from the reel U.

It will thus be seen that by my improvement a new surface of inked ribbon is constantly presented to the type. When the paper-carriage is returned to the point ,of starting by drawing the cord T, the spring U2 is rewound on the drum S and the sheave 0 by virtue of its pawlvand-ratchet connection with the pulley f turns without moving the pulley f or the ribbon-feeding mechanism.

It will be seen by reference to the drawings, Fig. 1, that the key-board is arranged on a phonetic basis. Eighteen letters which occur together very seldom are arranged as nearly as may be in pairs of hard and soft sounds and placed, respectively, upon the first and thirdrows, and those letters which usually precede and follow each of thesenamely, A, E, I, O, U, S, H, R, and L-are placed on the middle row, and the remaining letter Q, like the comma, upon the fourth row, to be struck with the thumb.

As the phonetic key-board has but twentyseven keys, each finger may be allotted its separate quota, and as these lie directly under their respective fingers and the shift-keys under the thumbs the hands are never moved out of posit-ion while writing.

My key-board is so constructed that in writing one hand will be used as much as the other, or the right hand slightly more than the left, and it is so arranged that three keys will not have to be struck consecutively with the same hand.

My improved type-writer is small and light, being only about six inches in height and ten and eleven, respectively, in width and length. The principal advantage of this is that it enables the operator to place his copy directly before him and thus avoid the constant turning of the head, as is the case with other large machines.

The possibility of the letters striking together in fast writing is reduced to a minimum, thus permitting of producing neater work at a faster rate than in other machines, and the machine has a less number of keys and prints more characters than other machines.

In my key-board the figures are placed consecutively. The z and; in a group; the or interest-mark on I; the l on E; the 85 on A', the-on H; the on S; the on B and V,

next each other; the on D; the $6 or number-mark on N; the on K; the P on Q; the

on O; and Q?) on Z.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent I. In a type-writer, the combination of a tubular type-lever, a spindle extending through the type-lever and provided on one end with a head furnished with type on two or more of its faces and having on the opposite end a pinion, and a circular rack having a concaved toothed inner face adapted to engage the pinion in any position the pinion may take while performing its work, substantially as specified.

2. In a type-writer, the combination, with a circular type-turning rack provided with a lug on one side thereof, of two latches oppositely arranged with respect to each other, and mechanism for disengaging the latches, substantially as specified.

3. In a type-writer, the combination, with a circular type-turning rack provided with a stud projecting from the under side thereof,

of a pair of spring-pressed levers arranged on opposite sides of the stud, and a stop for limiting the motion of the levers, substantially as specified.

at. In a type-writer, the combination, with the circular rack D, of the levers E E, bars F F, the double-acting lever G, and connections between the lever G and bar F, substantially as specified.

5. In a type-writer, the combination of the circular rack D, provided with the lug a, the latches o o, the bar q, furnished with studs 0' r, the double-acting lever G, and connections between the lever G and bar q, substantially as specified.

6. In a type-writer, the combination, with the key-levers, of scoop-shaped finger-pieces secured to the said levers, whereby provision is made for permitting the fingers of the opl erator to slip readily from the said fingerpieces, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, in a type-writer paper-carriage, of the paper-roller O, furnished with the ratchet 71. the tubular arm P, and the bar g furnished with the hooked pawl f for engaging the ratchet 72?, substantially as specified. a

8. In a type-writer paper-carriage, the combination, with the paper-roll O, of the hinged curved graduated plate Q, extending from the front of the frame M over the roll 0 and covering the said roll, substantially as specified.

9. In a type-writer, the combination, with the rack-bar g carried by the paper-carriage, of the pivoted arms 3 the rods 75 6 provided with tongues n u for engaging the ratchet-bar, the rock-shaft it, provided with the lever o and arms 1', the space-bar I, extending under the key-levers, and the links s',connecting the bar I and arms 25', substantially as specified.

10. In a type-writer, the combination, with ITO 1-ence-that is to say, With the keys of the row farthest from the operator bearing the follow ing letters and figures, respectively: X2 W3 04 P5 F6 T7 M8 J 9; the keys of the next row in front bearing the followingletters and characters,- respectively: U1 I% E! A& O$ .H- S, R/ L"; the keys of the next row bearing the following letters and characters, respectively: Z69 Y; V( D- NsQ K.

EUGENE A. FORD.

Vitnesses:

GEO. M. HOPKINS, C. SEDGWIOK. 

